


come and see

by writerlily



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-27 08:48:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12077676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writerlily/pseuds/writerlily
Summary: The rumor that Frank Castle is in the hospital spreads across the school like a wildfire.You know who his father is....His dad did it....They're both crazy....





	come and see

The rumor that Frank Castle is in the hospital spreads across the school like a wildfire. 

_You know who his father is...._

_His dad did it...._

_They're both crazy...._

The rumor mill spins and spins and by lunch period, Karen can't take it anymore. The way these other students talk about the Castles is like they know them, and Karen is one hundred percent positive that none of them have a clue about what really happened. 

It's easy to point the blame at Castle Sr. The patriarch of the Castle family, formerly married to one Rebecca Castle. But Rebecca is gone-- _dead_ \-- along with their other child. A car accident, Karen remembers seeing on the news. The roads get slippery and even more dangerous in the winter time. The combination of snow and rain is lethal, their accident proof of this. 

Karen used to have class with Frank's younger sister, Lyla. She had the distinct Castle features: long sharp nose, broody eyes, and the unmistakeable head of raven black hair. She was a sweet girl, quick to raise her hand at every question their physics teacher threw at them. _Physics_. God, Lyla had even skipped a couple levels to be in more advanced classes. Lyla and Frank seemed inseparable on campus; She followed him around like a shadow, and he let her. 

It's easy to point the blame at John Castle Sr. for why Frank is in the hospital. Retired army veteran, whose looks alone scream authority and masculinity. Karen's mother had told her once that she saw John smack Frank right in their driveway. When John noticed Karen's mother-- jaw dropped, car stopped in the middle of the street-- he had ushered Frank back inside, with a resolute slam of the door. 

Things have been rough for the Castle family, anyone in this small town can see that. She remembers seeing Frank trying out for football and even planned on joining their high school ROTC program. But once his mother and sister died, Karen never saw him take a step near the football field and quit going to the ROTC meetings. 

She chews on her milk straw, deep in thought when Matt and Foggy reach her table. It's in the far corner of the cafeteria, where Karen can observe everyone inside. As soon as she started high school, she claimed this table, liking the advantage of being able to see her peers around her. 

"I think we should visit Frank Castle." 

Matt is wearing his sunglasses, as usual, but she can still make out the scrunch of his eyebrows. "I didn't realize you two were friends," he says as he feels for the slice of pizza on his tray. 

"We're not," she bites her lip. "But if I were in the hospital, I know I would want you two to visit me. He probably doesn't have anyone." 

Foggy rolls his eyes. "He's not a stray puppy Karen." 

She flicks a green pea at his face and smiles triumphantly when it hits one of his eyes. 

_"Not cool."_

"I'm serious though," she settles back down in her seat. Something... _something_ is tugging at her, telling her to go visit that boy in the hospital. "If you won't come with me, I'll just go by myself." 

"Okay, have fun!" Foggy smiles, even though his mouth is filled to the brim with chewed pizza and Karen makes a face of disgust. 

Another pea is thrown at his big head. 

\--- 

Karen has never been fond of hospitals. Can anyone be fond of a place like this? She wonders if even the nurses and doctors get tired of the sterile smell and the sick people who come in and out. Karen isn't a germaphobe _per se_ , but she can't imagine spending everyday in a building that houses every single type of bacteria, virus and disease. She mentally commends the people who work here as she makes her way up to Frank's room. 

Third floor, room 773. Her visitor sticker is slapped against the breast of her coat and she swallows away her nerves. She's just doing what any other person would do, right? Visit an acquaintance who is in the hospital? 

But they're not _really_ acquaintances. In order for that to be applicable, Frank should at least know of who she is, but Karen highly doubts that he does. They've always ran on opposite sides of the spectrum. She likes journalism and hanging out with her two main friends, while Frank always seemed too mysteriously cool and incredibly out of her reach. 

It's too late for any of that now, she supposes, because her feet have led her to his door faster than she thought. The bold 773 number stares back at her and Karen gives a polite smile to a nurse who walks by with an eyebrow raised at her just standing in the middle of the hallway. 

Now or never, right? 

The room is dark when she walks in and she pauses mid step, worried that she might wake up Frank. She can make out the outline of his body on the hospital bed, his long nose. Then suddenly his face turns to her and they make direct eye contact. 

Karen can't control the gasp that escapes from between her red lips. Frank... Frank's face is a mess of bruises and cuts. His left eye is almost swollen shut and the other is just as purple. 

"What are you doing here?" His voice is gruff, like he hasn't drank water in days. Karen let's go of the doorknob and steps closer to his bed. The tv in the upper corner is faintly playing some news channel and she gulps. 

"I heard you were in the hospital," her voice is barely above a whisper and she clears her throat. She pulls out a stuffed animal from her purse and thrusts it in front of his face. "I brought this for you." 

Frank blankly stares at it. "A Dalmatian?" He reaches for it, and the movement allows Karen to see his battered knuckles. "I guess he and I do kind of look alike, spots and all." 

Karen gives him a small smile. "Mind if I sit?" 

"I have a feeling you would do it either way," he squeezes the plush dog, his eyebrow raising in amusement before turning serious. "Why are you here?" 

"I was in the hospital once. None of my friends at the time had bothered to visit me," she snorts, "they were obviously not very good friends to have." 

Frank turns the Dalmatian around in his large hands. Karen stares at the veins on the back of his hand and his bruised knuckles. She coughs and looks away. 

"Little ole' Karen Page visiting me in the hospital," he drops the toy on his lap and leans his head back on his pillow. The corner of his lip slightly upturned. "Consider me lucky." 

Karen presses her lips together, fighting the blush that threatens to show. "You know my name." 

"Writer of the school newspaper, captain of the debate team, and the founder of the book club," he rolls his head to the side to look at her. "Am I missing anything?" 

Karen has to pick up her jaw from the floor where it's dropped. "No... you got them all." 

"Makes me wonder why you're really here," he eyes her suspiciously. "Hoping to get the big scoop on how I landed in here?" 

Karen furrows her brows. "No that's not why I'm here at all," she scoots closer to him, ignoring the face he makes at her sudden closeness to him. "I was just-- I was worried. About you." 

She can practically feel the tips of her ears reddening. 

Frank looks at her for a moment. "It wasn't my dad," he says suddenly. "People like to assume things, but this wasn't him." 

"I didn't say it was your dad, Frank," she frowns. 

"But I know what you all think. How you all gossip behind your manicured nails and fake smiles," he spits that last part out. 

Karen thinks back on what her mom had seen that one day and wonders what it had really been about, if apparently they're wrong about John Castle. 

"You're right," she nods her head. A strand of blonde hair falls in front of her eyes but she pays it no mind. "We live in a town of gossiping and spreading rumors, and I'm at fault for believing one or two of them." 

"At least you own up to it," he scoffs. "This town lives off of lies." 

"That much is true," she says quietly, thinking of her brother, and her parents, and her own problems at home that she hides like a wrapped gift. "So what happened to you then?" 

Frank is quiet for a moment. "You ever felt so-- _so numb_ , that you need to feel a little pain to feel anything at all?" He doesn't wait for her to respond, even though she does know what that's like. The broken mirror in her bathroom at home is enough evidence of it. "There's a pub downtown. They hold matches every Wednesday night. I got too cocky, too confident, and got my ass handed to me in return." 

"Your dad come pick you up?" 

Frank laughs, although it's humorless. "My dad was there," he picks at a loose thread on the thin hospital blanket. "He's not a bad man. Not like everyone thinks he is. He's grieving. I'm grieving. It's a process and I don't know why I'm even telling you any of this." 

"I have a face," she pushes her hair to her back. "I have a kind of face that people get comfortable talking to." 

"It's scary," he admits, his eyes roaming over every inch of her face. "I bet you have some secrets locked up inside that pretty little head." 

An awkward silence passes between them. An awkward moment of her avoiding Frank's gaze and how very true his words are. It makes Karen laugh, but it sounds a little hollow to her own ears. 

Frank raises a brow in question. 

"I used to, um, I used to watch you practice out on the football field during tryouts," the confession only spurs on actual laughter, until Frank is smiling somewhat as well. 

"And what'd you think?" 

Karen whistles lowly. "Let's just say it's a good thing that you didn't make the team." 

Frank laughs then-- truly laughs-- and it's a rich sound that comes from deep within his chest that shocks Karen into silence. 

"No bullshit with you, is there?" He looks over at her and suddenly she sees him differently, under the low ugly hospital lighting and the faint blue glow of the tv still playing that she had all but forgotten. 

"No bullshit," she tells him quietly, seriously. She picks up the stuffed animal and rolls it in her hands, thinking that this visit has gone in a completely different way than she imagine. She places the toy right on his chest. 

"It's late," she says softly, even though the clock only reads five pm and visiting hours are over at seven. She stands up and shoulders her purse. "I should get going, Frank." 

The little smile on his face fades and he nods, but not before calling out for her once she reaches the door. 

"Come by again tomorrow. I mean. Only if you want," he says and sighs like he's annoyed with himself. 

Karen bites her lip and smiles. "See you tomorrow." 

**Author's Note:**

> let me know what you think :) thank you for reading!


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